Springfield, Mass. - Whether or not the Syracuse Crunch is the best team in the American Hockey League is a question that will be answered in the next few weeks.

But this issue of who skates on the top line in the league has been put to rest for awhile. Now, the Crunch's Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Richard Panik are just toying with opponents on what will likely be the trio's AHL farewell tour.

That three combined for seven more points on Friday as the Crunch ripped Springfield 5-2 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the MassMutual Center.

Johnson contributed a goal and two assists, Palat tossed in two helpers and Panik went 1-1 to help the third-seeded Crunch break fast in the best-of-7 affair against No. 2 Springfield. In four playoffs games total, Johnson and Palat are each 3-6 while Panik is 2-2.

"It's good chemistry, I guess. We're just feeling it,'' Panik said.

"We played together a long time. Now it's the playoffs. We need to score goals, and we did,'' Palat said.

The real menace of facing Syracuse is that the top group isn't pulling the rope by itself. Ten Crunch players marked up a scoresheet in a firestorm display of scoring that sent Falcons goalie Curtis McElhinney to the showers after giving up five goals on nine shots.

The Crunch rolled out with scores from Mark Barberio, Panik, J.T. Brown and Brett Connolly in the first 20 minutes and another from Johnson in the second. Syracuse hadn't played since sweeping Portland in a first-round series May 2 and used that energy to put a charge into Springfield.

"I think everybody was pumped up because we hadn't played since last Thursday,'' Panik said. "If you don't play hockey in (so long), you are going to miss it.''

Johnson's score at the 10:10 mark of the second - and the Crunch's first shot of the period - sent all-star McElhinney to the showers. Johnson's hard rope from the right circle went in and out of the net so quickly that the play had to be reviewed to make sure the puck actually invaded the net.

"It certainly wasn't Curtis' fault. It was not just the defensemen, either,'' Springfield coach Brad Larsen said of the defensive collapse. "It was us, collectively, a five-man unit. We gave up easy ice.''

Barberio opened the second-round scoring on his team's third shot of the game, a power-play score at the 8:40 mark of the first. McElhinney batted down Panik's initial bid, but Barberio calmly swooped into collect the rebound and took his time before firing it back in.

"We were pretty opportunistic in the first period,'' Barberio said. "I thought we just kept it pretty simple. We put pucks on the net, crashed the net for rebounds.''

Panik made it 2-0 just 40 seconds later, off assists from Johnson and Palat. After playing together since last year with Calder Cup winner Norfolk, the three move don't skate together as much as carry out an unspoken choreography.

"They've been through it before,'' said Crunch coach Rob Zettler. "That's the best part. They know how to react, they know how to play.''

Springfield's Nick Drazenovic responded with a power play goal at the 10:06 mark, but that only further riled up the Crunch. Brown had a quick response 1:20 later, taking a slick dish from teammate J.T. Wyman and powering a bid from the slot past McElhinney's stick side.

And Connolly closed the first-period steamrolling with a rebound score from the left side with 1:47 left, cashing in an original shot by Dan Sexton.

"It was like we were standing still. You've got to have a short-term memory in the playoffs, though, and turn the page,'' Larsen said.

"I think it will be a different game tomorrow night. I think it will be a little bit tighter,'' Zettler said.

The Crunch played without defenseman Radko Gudas. Gudas was hurt after getting hit by a shot in in warmups and Zettler scratched him as a precaution.

He was replaced by Brendan Mikkelson, who had been out with a broke foot since March 30. Zettler said Gudas should be OK for Game 2.

The winner of this series will take on the winner of the Providence-Wilkes-Barre/Scranton semifinal in the Eastern Conference final. The Bruins won Game 1 of that series 8-5 on Friday.